Autosport.com has been getting a bit excited over the last two days. First, yesterday evening it claimed McLaren had been banned from this championship and next year’s. Very quickly it printed a clarification (which had now disappeared from the site).

In the last few hours they have put up the ‘news’ that McLaren may not have to pay all the $100 million. This is only ‘news’ to them. Yesterday they gave us the full FIA statement which said McLaren had to pay $100 million minus the FOM income lost as a result of the points deduction. Hours late Ron Dennis clarified this for everyone. They’d only have to pay about half the $100 million.

Of course, the world media has grabbed the very nice round figure and run with it. That’s what McLaren have to pay, according to them. Thus it is today that it is ‘news’ that they don’t, when really we all knew it yesterday.